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Arterial Stiffness as an Early Marker of Organ Damage

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Special Issues in Hypertension

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Abstract

Classical risk scores may underestimate the risk of cardiovascular events in specific risk groups suitable for early prevention, such as asymptomatic hypertensive subjects. Arterial stiffness and wave reflection are now well accepted as the most important determinants of increasing systolic and pulse pressures in aging societies, thus affording a major contribution to stroke and myocardial infarction. One of the main reasons for measuring arterial stiffness in hypertensive patients comes from the demonstration that arterial stiffness has a predictive value for cardiovascular events, beyond classical cardiovascular risk factors. Aortic stiffening also gives direct evidence of target organ damage and improves the determination of the overall cardiovascular risk of asymptomatic hypertensive subjects. In clinical practice, the measurement of aortic stiffness may avoid patients being mistakenly classified at either low or moderate risk, when they actually have an abnormally high aortic stiffness placing them within a higher risk group. This chapter successively addresses the concept of imaging biomarker, applies it to arterial stiffness, describes the methodology of its measurement, provides some pathophysiological links between arterial stiffness and organ damage, and raises the issue of whether arterial stiffness is a surrogate end point.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology and INSERM U970, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou, Assistance Publique: Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France

    Stephane Laurent & Pierre Boutouyrie

Authors
  1. Stephane Laurent
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  2. Pierre Boutouyrie
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Correspondence to Stephane Laurent .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Internal Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Ce, Riad El Solh, Beirut, 1107-2020, Lebanon

    Adel E. Berbari

  2. Clinica Medica, Ospedale S. Gerardo, Università di Milano-Bicocca, V .Donizetti 106, Milano, Monza, 20133, Italy

    Giuseppe Mancia

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Laurent, S., Boutouyrie, P. (2012). Arterial Stiffness as an Early Marker of Organ Damage. In: Berbari, A., Mancia, G. (eds) Special Issues in Hypertension. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2601-8_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2601-8_14

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-2600-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-2601-8

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